Stand Up
by Black Shadow Fox Shaman
Summary: Sakura is the last one standing in a battle.


Stand Up

A/N: This is my first Naruto Fic. Hope you like. There is some gore in this. I hope you like it. I don't own Naruto and stuff.

Sakura stood up defiantly. The steady beating of her heart was the only rhythm that made sense in this crazy realm. The enemy's aura was all around her in the form of an eerie mist. She didn't care anymore. Her fist was clenched at her side. Her body was tense ready to attack. It was over they had already taken away the one thing that kept her living in this world. His bloody body lay a few feet away from her. She figured that she could save him but at the cost of her own. It was a cost she was willing to pay at the moment.  
"So the little girl is ready to die for that weakling?" Itachi asked with a disgustingly sweet velvet tone in his voice.  
He thought he was a viper charming its victim before striking. She wouldn't fall for it. Sasuke depended on her now. He'd never admit it. She smiled softly at herself because of that thought. "What are you smiling at girl?"  
"It's none of your concern Itachi."  
She regained her stance. Her kunai were out ready to attack. Slowly her chakara was being fed to Sasuke to make sure that he woke up sometime within the next few minutes. Sometime back she had learned how to channel her chakara into someone else to heal them. She knew that it would come in useful one day, and that day was today.  
"So you really think you have a chance with me?"  
"I'll do everything I can to defeat you for him."  
"Is that all? You waste your talent for a weakling. Join me."  
"No."  
Without warning she crouched low before leaping forward. They locked in combat. Itachi had the advantage of the Sharingan. She didn't allow that to deter her though. Sasuke was counting on her. Her chakara was still pouring into Sasuke. She noticed that his muscles were twitching and jumping with the current of her power running through him. Suddenly Itchai's knee found her chest. That brought her back to the present battle at hand. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.  
"You're attention is divided girl that makes you weak."  
She smirked when she heard Sasuke groan. He'd be completely ready to fight in a few moments. Her chakara input increased bent on making sure he had a fighting chance without needing help a second time. She knew she wouldn't live through this final confrontation.  
"My weakling of a brother won't be able to save you now."  
"I don't need Sasuke to save me anymore."  
She threw her kunai at him and vanished in a cloud of pink smoke. A startled gasp escaped her as blood shot out to the side before she completely vanished.  
Sasuke's eyes shot open. His brother had his back to him. He heard most of what had been said the entire conversation. He felt her chakara running through him. What riled him up even more was the blood he saw and her startled gasp. Itachi would pay and pay dearly for hurting his Sakura. He tried to convince himself a long time ago that he didn't need her at all, but things changed a few months ago. Sakura and he had been training together, and things happened. Shaking it off he knew that he couldn't dwell in the past right at that moment.  
"Itachi!" Sasuke snarled to get his brother's attention. "Your fight is with me not her."  
"She put up a better fight than you little brother."  
Sasuke ignore his brother's jibes. He felt Sakura's presence within him. Safe to say the feeling was warm and it pulsed near his heart. Leaping forward he slammed into his brother startling the older Uchiha for a second. Sasuke drew his shirikin and threw them at his brother. Itachi was unable to stop the weapons from tearing into his shirt.  
"Where is this power coming from?"  
"Its something you wouldn't understand brother," he growled darkly.  
Moving forward he pinned his brother against a tree with his forearm.  
"Do you really think you've won weak little brother?"  
"As far as I'm concerned my brother is dead."  
He let his brother go. Someone out there needed him right now.  
"I'll never stop little brother."  
Itachi vanished into a cloud of smoke. Sasuke only shrugged.  
"I'll be ready when that day comes."  
Turning on his heel he moved through the forest wondering where Sakura was.   
"Sakura?" he called out.  
"Sasuke," he heard her call out weakly.  
Moving quickly he found her leaning against a tree clutching her side. Blood stained her clothes an ugly crimson. With careful steps he knelt at her side.  
"Why did you help me?"  
She just placed her hand that wasn't holding her side over her heart.   
"My heart called me to help you."  
"Why damn it! He could have killed you."  
"A small price to pay Sasuke-kun."  
He winced at her talk. With the amount of blood that she was loosing she wouldn't make it much longer. Moving forward he picked her up carefully.  
"Hang on Sakura I'll get you help."  
"Sasuke I love you," she whispered softly against his chest.  
"Don't do that Sakura. You're going to live."  
He knew there was a slim chance that she would and frankly he didn't quiet understand why it was that he was doing this. Inwardly he knew though. He, Sasuke Uchiha fell in love with Sakura somewhere in between the day they first met and till this moment.  
"Fight for me," he whispered against her hair.  
"Sasuke-kun?" she whispered weakly.  
"Hm?"  
"I'll try, for you."  
"Sakura I..."  
He shook his head to ignore the feelings that were welling up in him. They arrived at the clinic and a nurse took her under wing.  
"Are you hurt sir?" she asked once she came back.  
"Huh?" he said absently before realizing she was talking about the blood on his shirt. "No, it's her blood."  
"All right wait here. The doctor will be out to update you on her condition."  
Sasuke just nodded and sat down not even caring that Sakura's blood was drying on his clothes. His mind was in turmoil. He couldn't get his thoughts in order.  
"Sasuke?" a familiar voice said from his left.  
Looking up he saw Kakashi and Naruto standing in the doorway. Naruto held a new pair of clothing.  
"I brought clothes for you to change into."  
Sasuke nodded solemnly and went to the bathroom and changed. He washed the blood from his body. Somewhere in his heart he hoped that she would make it out of this. Taking a deep breath he exited the bathroom. The doctor was standing with Kakashi. The look on both his and Naruto's faces made his heart start to race. The doctor said something to Kakashi and left. Sasuke moved to stand in front of Kakashi and stood imposingly.  
"Well?"  
"She's in a coma, and they say if she doesn't pull out of it soon then she never will."  
"Can I see her?"  
"No today Sasuke. You should go home and rest."  
Sasuke nodded his head weakly and turned to walk away. His hands were shoved in his pockets. It didn't take long before he was standing in his small living room in his apartment. Without care he tossed his clothes on the couch and went to his room and collapsed on the bed. A troubled sleep claimed him.  
Sometime later he came awake and sat up. His hand came up and fell over his heart. The warmth was still there in his heart. She had given him part of herself. Getting up he was determined to see her. With his ninja training he was easily able to sneak into the hospital. With systematic care he checked rooms trying to find his lost shinobi. He found her ten rooms later. She was hooked up to many machines. The star light glittered behind him. He moved to her bed side and took her limp hand into his.  
"Sakura? Please..."  
He could bring himself to say it. Leaning forward he brushed his lips against hers. "Come back to me Sakura."  
Bowing his head he rested in on the bed beside hers. He needed her that's all that there was to it. Sakura was his life line. She was what kept him sane in these insane times. Most of all he could see him self spending the rest of his life with her. He wanted her to be the mother of his children. As soon as that thought passed through his mind a light squeeze was felt on his hand. Startled he brought his head up. Her pale emerald eyes were glittering. Tears were standing in her eyes.  
"Sasuke?" she said weakly.  
"Rest Sakura."  
She tugged gently on his arm. He had a questioning look on his face.  
"Lay with me."  
A bright blush stained his cheeks but he complied anyway. Her back was pressed firmly against his chest. His arms were draped protectively over her waist.  
"I love you Sasuke."  
"I love you too Sakura," he whispered softly against her hair.

Sasuke shot up and was breathing heavily. His heart was beating wildly in his chest as if trying to break free of his ribs. There was a loud banging on his door. Getting up he went to answer it. Kakashi stood in his doorway. His aura radiated sadness.  
"Sasuke, I know you cared deeply for Sakura, but never admitted it but she..."  
He bent his head and his fists clenched at his side.  
"I don't want to hear it," he growled.  
"Sasuke, Sakura's gone."  
A wild hope flair that maybe she had got out of the hospital bed and was trying to find him. Numbly he followed Kakashi to the hospital. When he got to her room the sight of her blood all over the place made him sick. He was fighting the urges to throw up. A note was written on the wall. He didn't want to know what it was that he had used to write in.  
'_Weak Little Brother I told you I'd be back for you. Now she'll pay.'  
_Sasuke felt his Sharingan activating. This was beyond pissed. His brother wouldn't make it out of this battle alive. He knew there would of been consequences with either choice but this one hurt the most. He didn't want to loose Sakura now.  
"Sasuke don't do anything stupid."  
Sasuke tilted his head to the side to look at Kakashi all that he had to say was stated dangerously in his eyes, but when he spoke in kind of shocked the silver haired man.  
"This isn't about my family anymore its about her. Itachi has gone to far this time."  
He soon vanished in a cloud of dark smoke.  
Sasuke found himself standing in his house. Going to the trunk at the end of his bed he pulled out all his kunai and shirikens that would fit into his pouch. He was determined. A familiar chakara neared his home. Something was off about it though. Getting up with a kunai in his hand he went outside. A figure sat crouching on the low roof of the building across the way. The moon light was covered by clouds for the moment, but when it came out his heart skipped a beat. The wind tugged at her shoulder length locks. However familiar black marks were spread across her pale skin.  
"Sakura?"  
"I've been ordered to kill you Sasuke," she said matter of factly.  
"Orochimaru sent you didn't he?"  
"In a way yes, but then again no."  
"How's that?"  
"I killed him, and Itachi thinks he has control over me now."  
"Does he?"  
"I haven't killed you yet."  
She leapt from her perch to stand before him. Her eyes were the same pale jade that they were before. For that small favor he was grateful.   
"What makes you think you can?"  
"Because, I am your weakness."  
"You assume a great deal Sakura."  
He had to do this to her. She sighed softly.  
"If this is just for show for Itachi then don't bother."  
"Why would you assume that?"  
She turned her head to the side with a slight tilt she looked into the shadows beyond Sasuke. Shaking her head she went back to perch upon the roof again.  
"This isn't my battle anymore. Sasuke he's all yours."  
Her head was resting on her knee while the other leg dangled off the edge of the roof. Sasuke turned around to face his brother. Suddenly a familiar warmth swamped his heart. He knew he'd be classified a love sick idiot but knowing she was behind him was all that mattered.  
"Let go Sasuke I'll bring you back," she whispered softly.  
With his keen hearing he heard her though. With that being said a deadly smirk crossed his features.  
"You're finished Itachi. No one hurts her and gets away with it."  
"How disgustingly sweet," Itachi spat out.  
Sasuke leapt forward ramming into his brother determined to end this so that he and Sakura could start their lives together. Itachi managed to throw Sasuke against the wall. A kunai was buried in Sasuke's shoulder bleeding sluggishly. The younger brother was having trouble standing up. He had yet to release the Shirgan.  
"Stand up Sasuke," Sakura breathed loud enough so that he could hear her. "Stand up and finish what you've stared."  
A smirk graced Sasuke's features as he rose to his feet. A sadistic smirk that would put Itachi's sadistic smirk to shame graced his features. His eyes were bleeding red. He drew his katana slowly. The blade glinted menacing in the moon light. Itachi shifted nervously for a moment. With one swift leap Sasuke sliced his brother in two pieces. The pieces neatly slide sideways due to the pull of gravity. Blood pooled on the ground where the two pieces separated. His guts lay spread on the ground. With a swift flick of his wrist the blood was shaken from the katana. His eyes were still blood red.  
"Sasuke?" Sakura called.  
He heard the light thump of her landing on the ground behind him.  
"So you're here to calm me down?"  
"I don't see the need to."  
"And why's that?"  
"Because you're calm."  
"For now," he said calmly as he shrugged.  
Sakura didn't trust him for some reason, and something was up. Before she realized it he had her pinned against a wall covered by shadows. His lips were sealed to hers. Pulling back his red eyes slowly faded into black.  
"You're mine now."  
"I won't deny it."  
They kissed again. Both melted into the shadows and weren't found until days later. The young lovers were curled around each other fully clothed. Kakashi shook his head sadly. Moving towards the pair he knelt down. Both were laying in a pool of blood. He could feel the slight pulse of her chakara. Reaching his hand down he touched her pulse and her heart was beating sluggishly. Touching Sasuke's pulse point his was the same. Putting his hand on Sasuke and Sakura's shoulder he poofed them to the hospital to get them back. They were taken under wing. Once he was allowed to visit the pair they looked really pale. They were in separate beds. Sasuke was the one that was hooked up to bags of liquid and blood. Moving to Sakura's side and picked up the pink haired girl. With care he laid her on the side that the liquids weren't hooked up knowing they'd take comfort in each other's presence.  
"Come back you two. Come back together."

Sometime later

Kakashi returned to the room to see Sasuke's arms wrapped around Sakura's waist. He knew that their bond was strong and it would be really hard for either to survive without the other. A nurse walked in and wasn't in the least bit shocked at their display.  
"Are you either one their parent?"  
"Their families are dead and I'm their sensei."  
"That will do."  
Leaning over she whispered something in his ear that made him start in surprise.  
"Are you sure?" he asked.  
"Positive."  
"Thank you."  
The nurse bowed and walked away. He watched over his children with eyes like a hawk. He knew that they would wake up soon enough and start their own family that they were denied when they were younger. He'd watch over them since they were all that he had. He wondered if their child was going to be a girl or a boy. Laughing softly he watched the pair.


End file.
